Thursday, November 12
Abilene, Texas
6 p.m.
Abilene Christian
vs
Central Arkansas
Photo by: Kevan Albright
11/12/2026 11:20:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
ABILENE — Abilene Christian volleyball will wrap up the regular season with a pair of matches at Moody Coliseum this week. The Wildcats host Central Arkansas at 6 p.m. Thursday for Heart Health Awareness Night, then play Eastern Kentucky at noon Saturday for Senior Day and She Can Be, presented by Dr. Leslie Hutchins.
All ACU volleyball matches at Moody Coliseum are free to attend. Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+, with Josiah Wonnell (play-by-play), Londyn Gray (analyst) and Reese Vasquez (sidelines) calling the action Thursday. Roman Raffaeli (play-by-play), Gray (analyst) and Josephine Villarreal (sidelines) are on the call for Sunday.
The Wildcats are 10-4 in the United Athletic Conference to rank third in the standings. They're a game ahead of the fourth-place Sugar Bears at 9-5, while the Colonels have clinched the regular season conference title with an unblemished 14-0 mark.
ACU (18-8) can secure a season sweep of Central Arkansas, its fifth UAC sweep of the season. Eastern Kentucky is 24-2 and has won its last 19 matches with an RPI ranking of 35. A Wildcat win on Saturday would be the best win by RPI in program history.
ACU looks to continue stacking its most wins of the Division I era and since 2011. An 11th victory in league play would tie for its most as a DI program and since 2016. The Wildcats have won eight of their last nine matches at Moody Coliseum with a 9-3 mark at home. A 10th victory would be their most at home since 2009's 14-0 showing.
ACU makes its push toward the UAC Tournament, set for Nov. 19-21 at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock, Ark. The Wildcats have punched their ticket to the tournament and are now fighting for the No. 2 seed to earn a bye to the semifinals.
The Wildcats fell 3-0 to Tarleton State last week before rebounding with a 3-1 victory on the road at UT Arlington. Alyssa Todd and Aubrey Beaver had 17 kills apiece against the Mavericks, while Hadlee Welch added 10 kills and five blocks.
ACU rallied for a 3-2 victory over Central Arkansas when the teams met in Conway, Ark. on Oct. 29. The Wildcats picked up their only five-set win of the season after battling back from a 2-1 deficit in a match that featured 33 ties and 14 lead changes. ACU is aiming for its first win over the Sugar Bears in Abilene in the DI era.
The Wildcats dropped a 3-0 decision to the Colonels in Richmond, Ky. on Oct. 17. It was the programs' first meeting in team history.
HISTORICALLY HOT START – ACU has crafted its best season in nearly two decades with a 18-8 start to 2026. It's its hottest start since 2010 (23-3) and throughout the Division I era (since 2013). The Wildcats have achieved their most wins in a season in the DI era and since 2011. ACU's 10-4 mark in conference play is its best opening since 2018. ACU went 8-3 in September and 8-2 in October, having won 17 of its last 22 matches. ACU has achieved season sweeps over four UAC opponents.
MOODY MAGIC – The Wildcats have played some of their best volleyball at Moody Coliseum this season with a 9-3 record at home. They've collected their most home victories since 2016 and won eight of their last nine matches in Abilene. A 10th home win would be its most since 2009. Away from the Big Country, the Wildcats are 8-5 on the road, good for their most wins since 2010.
WELCOME TO ABILENE – Outside hitter Alyssa Todd has put together one of the top freshman seasons in program history. She has emerged as arguably the top freshman at the mid-major level with a team-best 284 kills and 3.26 kills per set. It's good for the most kills in a season by an ACU freshman in the team's DI history. Todd set ACU's DI single-match freshman kills record with 22 at Little Rock on Oct. 31. Todd became the fastest freshman in ACU's DI era to reach 100 career kills, doing so in just 10 matches. She has been named the UAC Freshman of the Week on four occasions. The last Wildcat freshman with 300 kills was Sara Oxford, who had 396 in 2011.
ACING IT – Senior libero Abby Christian has established herself as a force at the service over four seasons in Abilene. She is the Wildcats' DI leader in career aces with 123 across 113 matches. Christian surpassed ACU's DI record of 103 aces, established by Madeline Guffy from 2022-24. Guffy and Christian are the only DI Wildcats to surpass 100 aces. Christian is third in the DI record book with 0.29 aces per set.
WEEKLY HONORS – The Wildcats have been the recipients of 10 UAC weekly accolades this season between four student-athletes. Alyssa Todd has received Freshman of the Week distinction four times on Sept. 8, Oct. 19, Oct. 26 and Oct. 31. Hannah Gonzalez was named the Player of the Week on Sept. 14 and 21, and Brennan Ramirez was tabbed the Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 14, Sept. 28 and Oct. 26. Rachel Koss was named the Setter of the Week on Oct. 19. Ramirez and Koss were three-time WAC honorees last season.
STAYING THE COURSE – A rarity in today's world of college athletics, ACU's roster touts seven seniors, including five that have spent their entire four-year careers in Abilene. Gonzalez, Koss, Abby Christian, Izabelle Larson and Alexis Strong each arrived at ACU in 2023 alongside head coach Ijeoma Moronu Alstrup. Also beginning her fourth season as head coach of the Wildcats, Moronu Alstrup described this year as a "senior season" of her own.  Additionally, Avery Thaler, Annaleise Sevier and Courtney Church are each in their third seasons at ACU.
FAMILY AFFAIR – Head coach Ijeoma Moronu Alstrup and assistant coach Chris Alstrup are one of six known Division I coaching duos that are married. The two met while Moronu Alstrup was playing professional volleyball in Alstrup's home country of Denmark. They have a daughter, Charlie, and a son, Jude. Other married coaching duos include Little Rock, Eastern Michigan, Montana State, Southern Utah and West Virginia. Other family ties on the Wildcats' roster include freshman OH Garrah Prox and her sister, student manager Zoey Prox.
WILDCATS AROUND THE GLOBE – Much of ACU's team chemistry and camaraderie was built this summer on the program's international tour to Europe. From June 4-14, the Wildcats globetrotted across Sweden, Denmark and Germany, immersing themselves in local cultures while competing against overseas programs and taking part in volunteer work. ACU competed against Holte, one of the top programs in Denmark, the Danish National Team and the U17 German Regional National Team.
All ACU volleyball matches at Moody Coliseum are free to attend. Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+, with Josiah Wonnell (play-by-play), Londyn Gray (analyst) and Reese Vasquez (sidelines) calling the action Thursday. Roman Raffaeli (play-by-play), Gray (analyst) and Josephine Villarreal (sidelines) are on the call for Sunday.
The Wildcats are 10-4 in the United Athletic Conference to rank third in the standings. They're a game ahead of the fourth-place Sugar Bears at 9-5, while the Colonels have clinched the regular season conference title with an unblemished 14-0 mark.
ACU (18-8) can secure a season sweep of Central Arkansas, its fifth UAC sweep of the season. Eastern Kentucky is 24-2 and has won its last 19 matches with an RPI ranking of 35. A Wildcat win on Saturday would be the best win by RPI in program history.
ACU looks to continue stacking its most wins of the Division I era and since 2011. An 11th victory in league play would tie for its most as a DI program and since 2016. The Wildcats have won eight of their last nine matches at Moody Coliseum with a 9-3 mark at home. A 10th victory would be their most at home since 2009's 14-0 showing.
ACU makes its push toward the UAC Tournament, set for Nov. 19-21 at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock, Ark. The Wildcats have punched their ticket to the tournament and are now fighting for the No. 2 seed to earn a bye to the semifinals.
The Wildcats fell 3-0 to Tarleton State last week before rebounding with a 3-1 victory on the road at UT Arlington. Alyssa Todd and Aubrey Beaver had 17 kills apiece against the Mavericks, while Hadlee Welch added 10 kills and five blocks.
ACU rallied for a 3-2 victory over Central Arkansas when the teams met in Conway, Ark. on Oct. 29. The Wildcats picked up their only five-set win of the season after battling back from a 2-1 deficit in a match that featured 33 ties and 14 lead changes. ACU is aiming for its first win over the Sugar Bears in Abilene in the DI era.
The Wildcats dropped a 3-0 decision to the Colonels in Richmond, Ky. on Oct. 17. It was the programs' first meeting in team history.
HISTORICALLY HOT START – ACU has crafted its best season in nearly two decades with a 18-8 start to 2026. It's its hottest start since 2010 (23-3) and throughout the Division I era (since 2013). The Wildcats have achieved their most wins in a season in the DI era and since 2011. ACU's 10-4 mark in conference play is its best opening since 2018. ACU went 8-3 in September and 8-2 in October, having won 17 of its last 22 matches. ACU has achieved season sweeps over four UAC opponents.
MOODY MAGIC – The Wildcats have played some of their best volleyball at Moody Coliseum this season with a 9-3 record at home. They've collected their most home victories since 2016 and won eight of their last nine matches in Abilene. A 10th home win would be its most since 2009. Away from the Big Country, the Wildcats are 8-5 on the road, good for their most wins since 2010.
WELCOME TO ABILENE – Outside hitter Alyssa Todd has put together one of the top freshman seasons in program history. She has emerged as arguably the top freshman at the mid-major level with a team-best 284 kills and 3.26 kills per set. It's good for the most kills in a season by an ACU freshman in the team's DI history. Todd set ACU's DI single-match freshman kills record with 22 at Little Rock on Oct. 31. Todd became the fastest freshman in ACU's DI era to reach 100 career kills, doing so in just 10 matches. She has been named the UAC Freshman of the Week on four occasions. The last Wildcat freshman with 300 kills was Sara Oxford, who had 396 in 2011.
ACING IT – Senior libero Abby Christian has established herself as a force at the service over four seasons in Abilene. She is the Wildcats' DI leader in career aces with 123 across 113 matches. Christian surpassed ACU's DI record of 103 aces, established by Madeline Guffy from 2022-24. Guffy and Christian are the only DI Wildcats to surpass 100 aces. Christian is third in the DI record book with 0.29 aces per set.
WEEKLY HONORS – The Wildcats have been the recipients of 10 UAC weekly accolades this season between four student-athletes. Alyssa Todd has received Freshman of the Week distinction four times on Sept. 8, Oct. 19, Oct. 26 and Oct. 31. Hannah Gonzalez was named the Player of the Week on Sept. 14 and 21, and Brennan Ramirez was tabbed the Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 14, Sept. 28 and Oct. 26. Rachel Koss was named the Setter of the Week on Oct. 19. Ramirez and Koss were three-time WAC honorees last season.
STAYING THE COURSE – A rarity in today's world of college athletics, ACU's roster touts seven seniors, including five that have spent their entire four-year careers in Abilene. Gonzalez, Koss, Abby Christian, Izabelle Larson and Alexis Strong each arrived at ACU in 2023 alongside head coach Ijeoma Moronu Alstrup. Also beginning her fourth season as head coach of the Wildcats, Moronu Alstrup described this year as a "senior season" of her own.  Additionally, Avery Thaler, Annaleise Sevier and Courtney Church are each in their third seasons at ACU.
FAMILY AFFAIR – Head coach Ijeoma Moronu Alstrup and assistant coach Chris Alstrup are one of six known Division I coaching duos that are married. The two met while Moronu Alstrup was playing professional volleyball in Alstrup's home country of Denmark. They have a daughter, Charlie, and a son, Jude. Other married coaching duos include Little Rock, Eastern Michigan, Montana State, Southern Utah and West Virginia. Other family ties on the Wildcats' roster include freshman OH Garrah Prox and her sister, student manager Zoey Prox.
WILDCATS AROUND THE GLOBE – Much of ACU's team chemistry and camaraderie was built this summer on the program's international tour to Europe. From June 4-14, the Wildcats globetrotted across Sweden, Denmark and Germany, immersing themselves in local cultures while competing against overseas programs and taking part in volunteer work. ACU competed against Holte, one of the top programs in Denmark, the Danish National Team and the U17 German Regional National Team.
Players Mentioned
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